According to a report by Xinhua News Agency and the Chinese Judo Association on November 10, 2023:

The International Judo Federation, the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Chinese Judo Association jointly organised the IJF Asian Region Refereeing and Coaching Seminar, which was held from November 8th to 10th in Shanghai and hosted by the School of Competitive Sports at Shanghai University of Sport. More than 180 referees and coaches from nine countries and regions including China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia participated in the seminar.

The opening ceremony of the seminar was chaired by Yang Yang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Judo Association. Mao Lijuan, President of Shanghai University of Sport, stated that the seminar, with lecturers appointed by the International Judo Federation Refereeing Commission, provided a professional platform for participants to exchange knowledge and helped referees and coaches enhance their accurate understanding and practical application of international rules through video case analysis and on-site practice. She described it as a valuable learning and communication opportunity.

Juan Barcos, Coordinator of the IJF Referee Seminar and former IJF Chief Referee, highly praised the meticulous organisation and warm hospitality of the seminar. He hoped that through the three-day seminar, more information could be conveyed to assist coaches and referees in deepening their understanding of international rules.

Liu Chengliang, Director of the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Chairman of the Chinese Judo Association, stated that in recent years, as the new rules of the IJF have been implemented, the competitive level of Chinese judo has declined, creating a contrast with the flourishing development of world judo. One of the important reasons for the slow improvement in the competitive level of judo is the lack of coaches and referees who have the ability to continuously learn and actively understand the latest information on international judo. This international judo seminar is an important measure for the reform of judo, focusing on the development and revitalisation of judo in China, providing valuable learning opportunities for domestic coaches and referees, and keeping up with the trends of international judo development.

He said that since the beginning of this year, the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center and the Chinese Judo Association have made some explorations in innovating the judo competition system. In the future, they will also implement a system for on-site coaching guidance for coaches and establish a scoring evaluation system for referees. With the support of domestic competition system reform, they will promote the alignment of the domestic competition environment with international standards as soon as possible, cultivate and select excellent coaches and referees with higher standards and requirements, and contribute to the revitalisation of judo in China.

A delegation from the General Association of World Sports Federations (GAWSF) recently visited the Philippines to strengthen ties and collaborate with local sports organisations. Led by Professor Che Kuong Hon, Chairman of the Executive Committee of GAWSF and President of the World Sports University (WSU), the delegation engaged in fruitful discussions with key stakeholders in the Philippine sports landscape.

During the visit from October 15 to 17, 2023, Professor Che Kuong Hon, accompanied by notable figures including Anil Gutierrez, President of the Esport World Federation (ESWF), Reynaldo Sanchez, President of Asian Television Content Phil Corporation (ATV-Philippines), and Reynaldo de Guzman, former Head of Gaming at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), made a significant stop at the Philippine Sports Commission in Manila on October 16.

The delegation was warmly received by Mr. Richard Bachmann, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, and Dr. Walter Torres, Sports Commissioner. The meeting served as an opportunity for the GAWSF to express its unwavering commitment to supporting the development of sports for all in the Philippines. Additionally, the WSU pledged to collaborate with universities in the country to offer a diverse range of degree and professional training programs in sports.

In recognition of Mr. Bachmann's contributions to the sports community, he was elected Vice President of the GAWSF at the earlier General Assembly held this year.

Continuing their efforts to bolster sports development, Professor Che Kuong Hon and his delegation visited Mr. Aurelio de Leon, Chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission, in the afternoon. The meeting centered around the future of horse racing in the Philippines, with both parties engaging in productive discussions and reaching a consensus on preliminary cooperation. As a gesture of goodwill, Mr. de Leon extended a special invitation to Professor Che Kuong Hon to attend the upcoming International Racing Forum in the Philippines as a distinguished guest of honor.

The visit of the GAWSF delegation marks a significant step forward in strengthening ties between international sports organisations and the Philippines. With a shared vision for sports development, this collaborative effort paves the way for exciting opportunities and mutual growth in the field of athletics.

The construction project for the ten buildings within the campus of the College of International Sports Industry at the World Sports University (WSU), a higher education institution under the General Association of World Sports Federations (GAWSF), has recently reached its successful completion. Situated in the vibrant University City of Changqing District, Jinan City, the campus showcases remarkable progress, executed with meticulous attention to detail. The upcoming phases of the project, including the landscaping, interior decoration, and square layout, are scheduled to commence soon.

To assess the progress of this noteworthy construction endeavor, Professor Che Kuong Hon, esteemed President of both the GAWSF and the WSU, led an inspection tour. Accompanying him were Professor Ma Wencai, the General Secretary of GAWSF, Mr. Yang Yanjun, Vice Chairman of GAWSF, Professor Zhang Quan from the WSU Academic Committee, and prominent leaders from Zhongz Donsun Better Group. During the visit, fruitful and congenial discussions took place with Mr. Qin Xu, Chairman of Zhongz Donsun Better Group, the cooperative partner, and the esteemed leaders of Qilu University of Technology/Shandong Academy of Sciences. The discussions centered on exploring innovative approaches to propel the development of the sports industry in Jinan and envisioning the future prospects and collaboration models for the WSU College of International Sports Industry and the International Sports Science Park.

Expressing his optimism, Professor Che Kuong Hon affirmed that the WSU College of International Sports Industry is poised to commence official operations and enrollment in the first half of 2024. Furthermore, preparations are underway to jointly organize an esteemed international summit forum with Qilu University of Technology/Shandong Academy of Sciences. Additionally, in a bid to revive the international sports training activities that were temporarily halted due to the pandemic, plans are being finalized to resume these valuable programs.

WSU News: 31 August, 2023

The 18th Pacific Rim Objective Measurement International Symposium (PROMS 2023) co-organised by the World Sports University and the Pacific Rim Objective Measurement Association and supported by the GAWSF, was successfully open at the World Sports University Macau Center in Macau Daily Building. The theme of the three-day conference was "Rasch Model Traditions, Challenges and Trends after COVID-19".

Nearly 100 experts, scholars, professors and graduate students from well-known universities of 12 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Macau, who are engaged in Rasch model research and objective testing attended this Symposium.

Three workshops were arranged on the first day of the seminar. On the second and third days, experts and scholars in the industry gave keynote speeches and conducted group discussions. The organizer invited professors from Georgia University, Peking University, South China Normal University, University of Science and Technology of China and from Xi'an Jiaotong University to give keynote speeches.

Seminars and workshops provide an academic platform for scholars, tutors and graduate students from various countries to learn and communicate with each other, share their research results in the field of objective assessment, discuss current problems, and promote the development of objective measurement and assessment in the Pacific Rim region.

In the era of big data, the organizers believe that Chinese scholars will further improve their academic research capabilities through the future "Pacific Rim International Symposium on Objective Measurement" and better grasp the development direction of their disciplines; and look forward to the annual "Pacific Rim International Symposium on Objective Measurement" continues to add vitality to language testing and objective measurement research in China and the Pacific Rim region, including Macau.